With every major Android launch comes a new codename, and...a statue [on] the lawn in...Mountain View. … Right now we only know about the platform additions thanks to the SDK. ... With this and the leak of the 2015 LG Nexus 5, it seems like a complete launch of Android Marshmallow will be here soon. MORE

Florence Ion is charged by "the safe and predictable choice": [You're FIRED -Ed.]

Google unveiled the statue for Android Marshmallow at its Mountain View headquarters this morning. ... The new mascot looks delicious enough to smother in between two pieces of graham cracker and a chocolate bar. … There’s still no word on when to expect it to arrive to your Android devices, [but] I wouldn't hold your breath. ... Your best bet to get the new version...will be to buy this year's latest Nexus. MORE

Google's Jamal Eason eases devs into it: [Phone it in, much? -Ed.]

Who doesn’t like marshmallows? ... Get your apps ready for Android Marshmallow. The final Android 6.0 SDK is now available. ... We also updated the Android Support Library to v23. … Images have been updated for supported Nexus devices (Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 & Nexus Player). ... Supported Nexus devices will receive an Over-the-Air (OTA) update over the next couple days. … Google Play is now ready to accept your API 23 apps. ... We recommend that you use Google Play’s newly improved beta testing feature to get early feedback. MORE

Marshmallow was definitely among the most-speculated potential names for the next version. … While the statue isn't exactly...creative, it is nothing if not direct. MORE

Meanwhile, Brandon Russell leaves this here: [Give me strength -Ed.]

Google focused a lot on the underlying experience, giving users control over app permissions and native support for...64-bit ARMv8. … We’re also expecting Now on Tap, which looks set to be one of the coolest mobile features ever. ... It’s getting even smarter and more ever-present than before. Other features include doze, which reduces background activity, native support for fingerprint recognition, and a standard API for implementing fingerprint-based authentication. MORE

Boy, isn't Colonel JK Stern a big phan? [Please. Make it stop -Ed.]

U get a lot of EVERYTHING with Android that iOS will never have. ... You get customization that iOS would never get without jailbreaking your device. ... Google literally has outpaced every other Mobile OS...and no one can really compete. The only thing killing them is when Sammy/LG/HTC etc put their skins over it and hose it up! Try out a Nexus device, Vanilla Android is just purely awesome. … The lack of multitasking-support on most iPhones does not really make things more productive. I can actually leave things running in the background and not worry about it. MORE

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